British Columbia OBPS: Program Overview and Market Outlook

Join us for a look at one of Canada’s newer compliance markets the British Columbia Output Based Pricing System (BC OBPS). The BC OBPS is not a cap and trade market but based on emission intensities. This webinar will provide a deep dive into the program’s design, the province’s emission drivers, market mechanisms along with our long-term demand supply outlook for the program.

How to Join

This webinar is open to cCarbon’s Essential and Analytics Pro members subscribed to our Cap-and-Trade coverage. Can’t make it live? No problem – the recording and slides will be available in the cCarbon Webinar Archives. Not a member and still interested in attending? Sign up for our Essential Plan to get access to this webinar and a growing library of premium content. You can also simply register, and we’ll reach out with more details.

Join dynamic webinars on carbon markets, clean fuel policies, and modeling—from forecasts to strategy—in one expert-led series.

What You Will Learn

This webinar aims to provide a high-level overview to provide a comprehensive understanding of the British Columbia Output Based Pricing System and its role within Canada’s industrial carbon pricing landscape.

Our analysts will begin by examining the policy rationale behind the BC OBPS, including its alignment with federal carbon pricing requirements and British Columbia’s broader climate objectives.

Participants will gain a detailed understanding of the program’s compliance framework, including emissions intensity benchmarks, sector-specific performance standards, reporting and verification requirements, and the compliance pathways available to regulated facilities. The discussion will also cover how compliance units and performance credits are generated and used, as well as the factors that influence facility-level compliance obligations.

The webinar will explore the province’s major emissions drivers across key industrial sectors. We will discuss how changes in industrial production, technological improvements, electrification, fuel switching, and economic growth could shape future emissions intensity and compliance demand.

In addition, attendees will receive a detailed walkthrough of the market mechanisms underpinning the BC OBPS. Unlike cap-and-trade systems where allowance supply is centrally managed, an output-based pricing system creates a different set of incentives and market dynamics. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for regulated entities planning compliance strategies and for market participants assessing future opportunities.

A key highlight of the session will be cCarbon’s long-term demand and supply outlook for the BC OBPS. Leveraging our proprietary market models, we will present forecasts for future compliance demand, expected credit generation, and potential market balance under various policy and economic scenarios. These projections will provide valuable insights into how the market may evolve over the coming years.

The webinar will also compare the BC OBPS with other Canadian industrial carbon pricing systems, helping participants understand the similarities and differences between provincial programs and how these distinctions may affect compliance strategies for companies operating across multiple jurisdictions.

Finally, our experts will discuss recent policy developments, anticipated regulatory changes, and key issues stakeholders should continue monitoring as the BC OBPS matures. The session will conclude with a live Q&A, giving attendees the opportunity to engage directly with cCarbon’s analysts and gain clarity on questions specific to their organizations or areas of interest.

Whether you are a compliance entity, market participant, consultant, policymaker, investor, or researcher, this webinar will provide the practical knowledge and analytical insights needed to better understand one of Canada’s newest compliance carbon markets and its long-term outlook.